Iron oxides are widely used in decorative cosmetics. Dark or bluish black mascara, grey eyeliner, red rouge or red lipsticks – all of these products can contain iron oxide pigments for coloration.

The German specialty chemicals company Lanxess offers for such cosmetic applications a new black pigment within their high purity Z-Grade pigment range. In all products for decorative cosmetics compatibility with the skin is of utmost importance. Bayferrox Z grades are specially developed for such applications, where coloured products are in direct contact with human skin. All Lanxess inorganic pigments are nonhazardous, safe, colour-stable and non-allergenic. In chemical terms, they are comparable with their natural counterparts. However with regard to their colour, they are superior to naturals because of their higher purity and their particle morphology. The new product Bayferrox 360 Z QE 88 is a synthetic high-purity black iron oxide manufactured from selected raw materials with an extra purification step in the production process. The product complies with the requirements of FDA 21 CFR 73.2250 standards and regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, section E172 for iron oxides.